Why Seldom-Used Drains Develop Odors and How to Prevent Them

Why Seldom-Used Drains Develop Odors and How to Prevent Them

If you’re an empty nester, and your kids’ bathrooms are no longer being used, you may experience sewage odors coming from those drains. This is because the water in the trap has evaporated. What’s a trap? If you look under your sink, you’ll see the pipe makes a P shape and is often called a P-trap. Toilets also have traps built in to create a water seal and stop methane gas from entering your home. Without water use, the trap dries out allowing odors to seep into your home.

Preventative Maintenance
We frequently get calls from customers complaining of bathroom odors, and our techs find that it is often because the bathroom is not being used. However, there are some things you can do to prevent this. First off, it’s a good idea to flush the toilet and run water in the sink and shower on a weekly basis. Doing so will keep the traps full. Secondly, you want to keep up with routine maintenance such as septic pumping and drain cleaning to make sure odors don’t creep in for other reasons. Contact Us for these services and all your other wastewater needs.